(British) The articles of dress prescribed and worn at some colleges and universities, typically on special occasions such as graduation.
"Hamilton Academical F.C.") and [Edinburgh Academicals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_Academicals "Edinburgh Academicals").
Please help [improve this article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Glasgow_Academicals_RFC "Special:EditPage/Glasgow Academicals RFC") by [adding citations to reliable sources](https://en.wikipedia.org/…
(British) The articles of dress prescribed and worn at some colleges and universities, typically on special occasions such as graduation.
"academicals" means the articles of dress prescribed and worn at some colleges and universities, typically on special occasions such as graduation. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"academicals" means the articles of dress prescribed and worn at some colleges and universities, typically on special occasions such as graduation. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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"academicals" is informal English meaning the articles of dress prescribed and worn at some colleges and universities, typically on special occasions such as graduation. It is mainly heard in British English (and Irish English). A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "the articles of dress prescribed and worn at some colleges and universities" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "academicals" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing.
“"Hamilton Academical F.C.") and [Edinburgh Academicals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_Academicals "Edinburgh Academicals").”
“Please help [improve this article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Glasgow_Academicals_RFC "Special:EditPage/Glasgow Academicals RFC") by [adding citations to reliable sources](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners "Help:Referencing for beginners").”
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Of or relating to a college or its students.